Missing in Action
by SmartyPants210
Summary: Seven weeks after the coronation, Ben mysteriously disappears. Now it is up to Mal and the others to find him.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello lovely readers!**

 **It is I, SmartyPants210, back with another story. This time it's about Descendants, because for some reason I love this movie, even though I'm probs too old for it. Oh well. If you haven't read my other story, I wrote one for Girl Meets World, so go check that one out if you're interested.**

 **Anwyho, this is a story I've been working on for a while, actually. I am about a chapter or two away from finishing it, so that means I'm actually going to have a schedule for updating! Yay!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story!**

 **I don't own Descendants, Disney does.**

Chapter One.

"When you have finished your tests, turn them into the tray on my desk. Then you are free to go to lunch." The teacher announced.

Mal finished up the last question on her biology test before getting up and doing as the teacher requested. She looked around the room and saw all the other students still working, which was a first for her. She was never the one who finished before everyone else. In fact, she was usually the one to finish last.

But she felt really good about this test, probably because Ben had been her tutor throughout the last unit. He had really helped her start to understand this class, especially since he insisted that their study sessions be daily. She had teased him about this initially, saying that he was only doing this because he wanted an excuse to see her every day. But, she had to admit, it was nice being a part of the king's busy schedule. Without the study sessions, she would only see him at lunch. They had all the same classes, but they weren't ever at the same time. Ben had a special schedule that allowed him more time in his day to attend to his kingly duties.

Mal practically skipped to lunch, glad that the test was behind her. She was a horrible tester, and could almost never recall the information that she had learned in her lessons. Even with Ben's help, she had been dreading the test. But once she had sat down and started taking it, she was surprised at how easy it had been.

When she had gotten her lunch from the lunch ladies, she walked over to their little group's table, surprised to see Ben already sitting there. She was very early to lunch, as it only took her around half of her biology period to finish the test.

"Hey, Bennyboo," she teased, setting her tray down beside him before wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

His face lit up with a bright smile, and he turned his head around for another kiss, which she received gladly. "Hey, how was your test?"

"It was actually really easy. I finished before everyone else."

"That's great, Mal!" Ben said, genuinely happy for her.

Mal beamed at the praise, and Ben leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"What was that for?" Mal asked.

"I just really love it when you smile like that," Ben confessed.

"Like this?" she asked, pulling a goofy grin.

Ben laughed. "Just like that."

"Aw, you guys are too cute together," Evie cooed, walking up to their table with Doug in tow.

The couple smiled.

"You two are here early," Mal remarked.

"Yeah, our AP Chem class got out early," Evie explained.

When Evie and Doug had been moved up to an AP class about a month ago, Evie had been ecstatic. Mal knew she deserved it, too. She was incredibly smart, and once she had shown the teacher that she was, she became his favorite student – next to Doug, of course.

They all chatted for a while before the others showed up. Once the group settled into their normal conversations, Mal began to sneak glances at Ben. He didn't participate in any of the conversations like he usually did. In fact, he didn't speak a word throughout the entire period. He just sat by her side, lost in his thoughts. Once the bell rang and everyone started to throw their leftovers away, Mal pulled him aside.

"Are you okay?" she asked him.

He seemed to snap out of his thoughts then, and assured her that he was fine. "Hey, I'm going to have to cancel our study date tonight," he told her. "I've got a meeting that can't be rescheduled."

Mal's face fell. So he was going to be distant with her all through lunch, and then cancel their time together?

"Is that okay?" he asked worriedly.

She wanted to tell him no, that it wasn't okay, but she instead opted to snap, "Yeah, whatever," and leave it at that.

"Can I walk you to class?" he asked, a little hurt by her harsh tone.

"I can find my way," Mal said, brushing off his offer. Normally she would be happy to spend time with him, but she was annoyed with him for being so distant at lunch.

"Okay," Ben said. Mal could tell that her words stung, and felt a pang of regret. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

Mal nodded, and allowed him to kiss her cheek before walking off to her next class.

* * *

Two days later, Mal got her biology test back. The teacher gave it to her upside down on her desk, and she hesitated to turn it over. Once she did, she couldn't take her eyes off the score. _100%_.

She didn't get a single question wrong. She couldn't wait to tell Ben.

After Mal had gotten angry at him, she had cooled down and realized that she had overreacted. She couldn't be Ben's number one priority because he had a kingdom to run. However, she couldn't apologize to him because of his meeting and then the day before he hadn't come to school.

As soon as the bell rang, she jumped up and hurried to lunch. Evie and Doug were already sat at the table, and Jay and Carlos were late as usual. But Ben was nowhere to be found. He wasn't usually late to anything, so Mal began to worry. She grew increasingly more and more worried as the minutes passed, but then Evie assured her that Ben was probably caught up in other things and she calmed down. Evie was right. He had missed lunches before due to his royal duties. She'd just tell him during their study date.

As the day dragged on, Mal started to get antsy for it to end. She really wanted to show Ben her score, but more importantly, she wanted to apologize to him for being rude a few days earlier.

Her last class of the day seemed to last forever. As soon as the bell rang, she was out of there and up to her shared dorm with Evie to freshen up before she had to go to the library.

Evie hadn't even returned before Mal was on her way. She wanted to surprise Ben by getting there before him, which was something she rarely ever achieved.

Sure enough, the library was almost empty when she reached it, and Ben was nowhere to be found. Mal settled at their usual table and got out her laptop, beginning her English essay.

She finished the essay, and Ben was still not there. So, she pulled out her giant history textbook (which was basically just a storybook) and started to read the assigned pages. Before she knew it, she had drifted off to sleep, her head resting on the open book like a pillow. She slept for almost an hour before the librarian came over and woke her, telling her that the library would be closing in half an hour. Deciding that it wasn't worth it to wait any longer, Mal packed her bag and returned, dejected, to her dorm. Evie was sitting at her desk when she arrived, and she didn't look up from her homework when Mal walked into the room.

"How was your study date?" she asked.

Mal simply fell onto her bed and groaned.

"That bad, huh?" Evie guessed.

"He didn't even show up." Mal explained. Suddenly she sat up. "E, what if he's mad at me?"

"Could be," Evie said distractedly.

"How do I fix it?" Mal asked.

"You talk to him," Evie told her. "In fact, curfew isn't for another two hours. I bet you could go down to the palace, have a chat, and be back before anyone could punish you for being out too late."

"You think so?"

Evie nodded. "I do."

"Okay," Mal said. "I'll do that then." She stood up and grabbed her bag again. "Thanks E!" she said before running out the door. She called a taxi, and before she knew it, she was walking up the magnificent steps of the castle.

Mal had been there before – a few times for royal dinners, fewer times for more secluded study dates with Ben in his own personal library, and once she had stayed the night because she'd accidentally stayed past curfew and neither her nor Ben wanted to get in trouble.

Mal went straight up to Ben's room, but the maid answered the door and Mal knew that he wouldn't be in there while she was tidying up.

She tried his library, but couldn't find him there either. Finally, she tried the kitchen, knowing that it was one of his favorite places in the entire palace. He loved to sit and talk to Mrs. Potts and Chef Bouche. He once told her that he could listen to their stories about his parents all day.

Immediately upon arriving in the kitchen, Mal knew something was up. Both Adam and Belle were sitting at the counter that Ben usually sat, and from what Mal had gathered from her visits to the castle, they almost never went into the kitchen together. Mrs. Potts and Chef Bouche weren't cooking, as they seemed to always be, they were standing at the counter with the former king and queen. The looks on their faces worried Mal, as all four of the adults looked troubled and sad.

"Mal?" Belle asked quietly.

"I-I'm just looking for Ben," Mal assured her. She didn't want the woman to think she was trying to intrude.

Belle turned her face away, and Adam wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

"Mal, honey," Mrs. Potts said carefully, "Ben is missing."

"What?" Mal asked, even though she knew exactly what the old woman had said.

"He was gone all yesterday, and wasn't here today either," Mrs. Potts explained.

"Then what are we all standing around here for?" Mal demanded. "Shouldn't we be out looking for him?"  
"We have almost the entire royal guard out there right now, looking for him," Adam informed her. "Problem is, we don't know where he would've gone, or why."  
"Mal, do you have any idea where he could be?" Mrs. Potts asked.

Mal shook her head. She pressed her lips together and looked up at the ceiling, willing her tears to go away. She couldn't cry. Not here.

"I-I mean, he was acting a little weird two days ago at lunch…but that doesn't tell us where he is," Mal said.

"It helps, Mal," Mrs. Potts assured her. "It helps."

"You said you had guards checking everywhere?" Mal asked.

Adam nodded.

"So where exactly is everywhere?"

"We're starting them closer to where we live," Adam said. "But if he isn't found around here, we'll move all over Auradon."

"Okay," Mal said, more to herself than to anyone else. "Make sure they know to check the Enchanted Lake," she offered, even though she was pretty sure they'd already thought of that.

"Thank you, Mal," Mrs. Potts said. She came around the counter and gave the teenager a hug that comforted Mal more than she cared to admit.

"I-I should probably get going," Mal said, checking the clock. "Curfew's in ten minutes."

Mrs. Potts nodded in understanding. "You go, honey," she said.

"Goodnight," Mal said to everyone before turning on her heel and leaving the place.

As she walked back to Auradon Prep, a million thoughts clouded her mind. Ben was missing. And the last thing she'd done with him was get mad for cancelling their date. How stupid was she?

Mal reached her dorm, and opened the door cautiously. She didn't really want to face Evie at the moment. She felt numb, and she probably had that look written all over her face.

Unfortunately, Evie hadn't moved since Mal had left, and looked up this time when Mal walked into the room.

"Mal?" she asked. "What happened?"

Mal sat on her bed and didn't meet Evie's eyes. "He's gone," she said vaguely.

"What?" Evie asked, confused.

"Ben is missing," Mal told her.

 **Dun dun dunnnn!**

 **Alrighty that's all for now. You got to have some mushy Bal stuff in the beginning, and then we jumped right into the drama. Mwah ha ha! Don't worry, I won't deprive you of Bal the whole story. I love me some Bal fluff just as much as the next person.**

 **I will be updating this story every Sunday, but I'm hoping to get all the chapters posted before the second movie comes out, so since there are 13-14 chapters in this story I might post twice on some weeks. We'll see.**

 **Please leave me a review, I absolutely LOVE hearing from my readers. Who knows, maybe I'll start replying to reviews before new chapters like other authors seem to do. That'd be cool. Would you guys want me to do that?**

 **Okay, so, I know I'm the most awkward person in my author's notes so I'll stop rambling now. But I hope you come back for the next chapter, because it'll be here next week!  
**

 **Have an amazing day, and until next time!**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello again, guys! So, I know it's a Saturday and not a Sunday, but I'm very busy tomorrow, so yay for early updates!**

 **Just a quick note, any large amount of text that is italicized is a flashback. There's a lot of those coming up in the next few chapters.**

 **I don't own Descendants!**

Chapter Two.

"I can't do this," Mal whispered to Evie. They were sitting in Fairy Godmother's class, listening to her lecture about advanced goodness. "I can't sit here pretending to be interested and knowing that Ben is gone. It makes me feel sick."

Evie reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly.

It had been a week since Mal learned of Ben's disappearance, and by now, almost the entire school knew. Half of the students, the ones who were still skeptical of the VKs, thought that Mal was responsible for this sudden and mysterious news. She received many glares from people that she didn't even know, and this made her increasingly more upset as the days went on. Usually, she didn't let it bother her, and if it did, she'd go to Ben. He always made her feel better. But for some reason, it was bothering her, and now she had no Ben to go to.

"Fairy Godmother?" Mal asked, raising her hand politely. "May I use the restroom?"

Fairy Godmother, pausing in the middle of her lesson, nodded at Mal. "Make it quick, please."  
Mal escaped from the stuffy classroom, and almost ran to the bathroom. She ran her hands under the cool water from the sink, trying to calm herself down.

 _It's okay_ , she told herself, taking a deep breath. _It's okay._

But it wasn't. It wasn't okay. Ben was gone, and nobody knew where he was. An image of Ben, sitting cold and beat up in a dark alleyway, flashed through her mind, and she shivered.

She looked up into the mirror. Her reflection showed purple bags under her eyes. She hadn't been sleeping the past few nights, and she was exhausted. All she could think about was Ben.

She'd been to the castle a few times, but almost nobody was around and those she could find had no idea what was going on. It was getting increasingly harder for her to sit still in her classes, and was often scolded by Evie by pacing in their room too much. She found herself suppressing tears every night, and had come to the realization that Ben's disappearance was affecting her way more than she cared to admit. She hadn't felt this way about anything her entire life, and the closest she could remember coming to this feeling was whenever Evie, Jay, or Carlos would get into serious trouble back on the island. But even that didn't compare.

As Mal splashed one last bit of water on her face and then dried it with a towel, she turned toward the door. Once out of the bathroom, she couldn't decide which way to go. She had half a mind to return to the classroom, but knew that she couldn't. She could not listen to Fairy Godmother drone on and on about goodness when everything inside of her was telling her to lash out at anyone who came into her path.

So, she turned the opposite direction and ran. She ran as far as her legs would take her, thankful that she had chosen to wear her purple high tops that day. Eventually she found herself in an all too familiar place – on the path that led to the Enchanted Lake. She had spent countless hours there since their first date. Often she came with Ben, but once in a while she came to the scenic place by herself simply to think about things. Which she supposed was what she was doing now. Thinking.

As she reached the pavilion, she was already deep in thought, wondering where on earth he could possibly be.

Her first instinct was that he was captured. As king, he was in danger of angry citizens all the time. But, by association, she was too. He warned her of this about a week after the coronation.

" _Ben, I came straight from school," Mal said, sitting down next to the young king. This was true. She had practically run from her last class of the day to meet him out in the garden of the castle. "What's wrong?"_

 _"Mal, we need to talk," Ben said, and the solemn tone in his voice threw her off. He was always so lighthearted and upbeat, it was crazy to hear him like that._

 _Mal put a hand on his shoulder, looking at his distraught face. "Hey, is everything okay?" she asked._

 _Ben looked from her hand at his shoulder back to the ground. He hadn't met her eyes since she arrived. Neither of them spoke for a while. "I don't know if we should keep seeing each other," Ben said finally._

 _It took Mal a moment to process this. Only a week before, he'd told her he loved her. And now… "Excuse me?" Mal asked, not quite believing what she was hearing._

" _I can't do it," Ben admitted._

 _Mal frowned, knowing that he wasn't telling her everything. "But the other day, before the coronation, you said…" she couldn't bring herself to say the rest._

" _I know what I said," he told her. "And I meant it."_

 _Mal shook her head, extremely confused at this point. "Then I don't get it."_

" _I'm king now, Mal," Ben said, and Mal nodded. "As king, I face so many dangers with every move that I make. If I make any citizens angry, I could get hurt. Or worse."_

 _"Ben, I know all these things, and I have complete confidence in you as a king," Mal pointed out. "So I don't worry too much. And I don't think that you can make this decision for me."_

" _Mal, that's not all."_

 _Mal raised her eyebrows, waiting for further explanation._

" _As my girlfriend, you're in trouble too," Ben said. His voice sounded strained. "With any wrong move, people will want you gone. Especially since you're Maleficent's daughter. And despite what you might think, the people of Auradon will do anything to get their way."_

 _There was silence for a while before Mal spoke again._

" _That doesn't scare me, Ben," Mal told him honestly. "It was the same way on the island. People had it out for me because I was Maleficent's daughter. And I'm sure they'd do much worse than anyone who lives on Auradon. So again, I'm not letting you make this decision-_

" _It scares me, Mal," Ben admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "It scares me knowing that you could be taken from me at any moment."_

 _Again, the two fell into silence, and Mal felt her heart break for her boyfriend. Since the coronation, she had seen a change in his demeanor, even though he tried not to show it. Being king was stressful, and on top of it, he not only had to worry about his own life, but he now had to worry about hers as well. She rested her head on his shoulder and intertwined her fingers in his._

" _I'm not going anywhere, Ben," she whispered, only loud enough for the two of them to hear. "I promise."_

As her mind clouded with thoughts of where Ben could possibly be, her fingers automatically went to the ring on her finger. She'd continued to wear it after the ceremony, and Ben had never asked for it back, so she never gave it back. She enjoyed wearing it; enjoyed showing the world that she was his girl.

He could've been captured, and that was the most logical explanation. But Mal had never heard anyone in the village breathe a word of discontent against Ben, so she hadn't the slightest clue as to who would've done it.

In the back of her mind, although she hated to think it, she knew there was another option. Ben could have run away, he could've taken it upon himself to leave. It was another viable option, especially with the way he had been acting the day before he disappeared. And then she had gone and snapped at him, which probably made him feel worse than he already did.

Mal knew that the kingly duties could get to be a bit too much at times, and she had often consoled him late at night in the library during their study sessions. On top of that, he had to keep up with his schoolwork and with tutoring her, even she didn't expect it of him. He insisted on helping, though, and so it put another burden on his shoulders. She honestly wouldn't blame him if he had run away.

Either way, he was gone, and nobody knew where he was. Mal reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek. She was tired of suppressing her tears, and all she wanted to do was cry. Now that she was all alone, she could. So she did. She burst into tears, ugly sobs racking her body.

After a while, when she didn't have any tears left, she made to stand up and get back to school. However, a sudden rustle of the bushes stopped her. She instinctively got into her defensive stance, her eyes starting to glow. But then a thought passed through her mind and she lowered her fists.

"Ben?" she asked.

The bushes rustled again, and Mal's defensive position returned. She was being silly. Of course it wasn't Ben. The castle guards had already checked this area for him, she'd made sure of it.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

Nobody answered, and she frowned, taking a step toward the sound.

Suddenly, two birds burst through the bushes, and Mal screamed, falling backward onto the pavilion. The birds squawked and hollered at her as they flew away, and she sent them a menacing glare. Mal stood up, brushing the dirt off of her clothing, before heading back the way she came.

When she finally got back to the school, Evie was waiting for her in their dorm.

"Where have you been?" Evie demanded. "You disappeared for a couple of hours after Goodness class. You missed all your afternoon classes."

"I just had to think," Mal said, flopping down on her bed.

"Mal, are you alright?" Evie asked, her tone softening. "Your eyes are puffy and-"

"Allergies," Mal lied, brushing off Evie's concerns. "Did you get the notes for Algebra?"

"Mal, I can tell when something's upsetting you," Evie told her.

"Well, no shit something's bothering me, Evie!" Mal exclaimed angrily. "Ben's missing, if you haven't noticed! But excuse me for not wanting to talk about it!"

Evie shut her mouth at Mal's outburst.

"Now, did you get notes from Algebra, or not?" Mal asked in quieter voice.

Evie nodded, and walked over to her backpack in the corner of their room wordlessly. She set her Algebra binder on the bed beside Mal before stalking off to her own bed, lying down on the mattress and blowing a strand of blue hair out of her face.

While Mal flipped through the notes of the day, the tension in the room thickened until it felt as if it could be cut with a knife. Mal knew that it was her fault for snapping at Evie when she had only been concerned, but she knew that if she opened up about how she was feeling right now, she'd end up breaking. She hadn't cried in front of anyone since she was extremely young, when her mother berated her for being weak.

"Look, E, I'm sorry," Mal spoke up. "I just really don't feel like burdening you with my problems."

Evie sat up. "Mal, you're not burdening me. I know that back at the Isle we weren't allowed to show weakness, but we're not at the Isle anymore."

Mal closed her eyes. "I know. I just don't know if I'm ready to talk to anyone about it yet."

Evie nodded understandingly. "That's fine. Just know that I'm here when you do need to talk."

Mal offered Evie a small smile. "Thanks, E."

A knock on the door interrupted the girls. Mal got up and opened the door, only to find a stable hand from the palace standing on the other side. She recognized him, as he often cleaned Ben's tack and cared for his horse.

"Mal, I think Ben was captured," he said, wringing his hands. "No, I _know_ Ben was captured. I saw it myself."

 **Dun dun dunnnn!**

 **So I kind of left off on a cliffhanger, whoops! :P**

 **Please leave me a review! Pretty pretty please, with a cherry on top? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the past two chapters. I promise you, any review is a great review!**

 **See you guys next week! Au revior!**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello lovelies! I am back with another chapter, and this one picks up right where the last one left off, so I shall not bore you with a super long author's note and we'll just jump right into this!**

 **I don't own Descendants.**

Chapter Three

A high-pitched scream of terror rang throughout the halls of Auradon High. The servant who had just told his story to Mal was currently fearing for his life, as the purple-haired teen was inches away from his face, anger evident in her own. His tunic was balled up in her fist.

"What do you mean, you saw it yourself?" she demanded.

The poor boy whimpered under her intense glare, but Mal didn't even bat an eye.

"Do you mean to say that you watched Ben get kidnapped, and you didn't do a single thing about it?" she growled through her teeth. Her grip on his shirt tightened. When he didn't answer, she shook him.

"Mal," Evie said from behind her, putting a hand on the hot-tempered girl's shoulder. "Let the poor guy explain himself."

Reluctantly, Mal released the boy, who cowered underneath her glare.

"Well?" Mal barked, her frown increasing.

"I-I tried to go tell someone, but nobody believed me!" the boy stammered. "They said Ben was in a meeting, and that I was just making stuff up! They still don't believe me, which is why I came to you!"

Mal practically screamed in her anger, beating her fists against the wall behind her. "How can people be so _stupid_!"

"Did you happen to hear where they were taking him?" Evie asked the trembling boy, who shook his head.

"The only thing I heard was what I assumed to be their names," the boy said. "Crimson was the girl, and Jack was the guy. They both had really red hair. I'm sorry I couldn't get anything else."

Evie stuck her hand out to the guy, and stood up with her help. "It helps, it really does."

Mal turned to the boy. "Crimson and Jack?" she asked.

He nodded, carefully watching her movements for anything threatening.

"I'll find them," she vowed, and then took off running.

She made it to the palace in ten minutes, running the entire time. She didn't run into anyone except some servants in the palace, which she was grateful. She headed straight for the castle's main library, fortunate not to find anyone in there either.

She navigated her way through ten rows of books to find a little sitting area, and walked over to a little globe that sat next to one of the fluffy armchairs. She found Auradon on the world and pressed down. The little country gave way, as it was a secret button. A section on the shelves slid open, revealing a large room behind it, which Mal entered.

This was one of the castle's hidden rooms that contained important things. This particular one contained all of the files of any person that had ever lived in Auradon or on the Isle.

Mal remembered the first time Ben had showed her, it was an accident on her part.

" _You're so cute with your love of libraries," Mal teased Ben. She walked around the little lounge, running her hands over the chairs and couches. She looked over, detecting a tinge of pink on Ben's cheeks and smiled. She walked over, noticing an old globe, and spun the sphere earth until she found Auradon._

" _There we are," she exclaimed, touching the little pink country. She was surprised to find it gave way, and pressed on it further._

" _Wait Mal don't do that-"_

 _But he was too late. A portion of the bookshelves slid to the side, revealing a large room behind it._

" _Ooh, a secret room?" Mal asked, and went into it out of curiosity. It was lined with drawers similar to the ones of filing cabinets. There was a desk in the middle of the room, with a lamp to the side of it._

" _Yeah, so, you're not supposed to know about this," Ben admitted, stepping in after her. He was rubbing the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his. "But I guess it's too late now. This is our room that contains all the information about everyone who has ever lived in Auradon or on the Isle."_

" _Whoa," Mal breathed. "This is amazing."_

" _Yeah," Ben said._

 _Mal looked over at her boyfriend with a mischievous glint in her eye. "So you have everyone in here?"_

 _Ben nodded._

" _What about me?"_

 _Ben turned to the cabinets, and scanned the labels quickly. "So these are labeled alphabetically by first name and gender," he explained to her as he opened the drawer whose label read 'M-Female'. He flipped through all the files until he pulled out one titled with her name. "Here you are."_

 _Mal took the file in her hands delicately, not daring to find out how much dirt these people had on her. "What kind of information do these files contain?" she asked._

" _They have your birth certificate, for starters. Then they have your family tree. Then there's a document that has all the usual information, like your name, your birthdate, how old you are, height and weight, where you live, who your parents are…and then they also keep track of any infractions you've made in the past, and also if you are good or evil," Ben explained._

 _Mal winced. There would be a whole lot on her list of infractions, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to open it in front of Ben. So she gave the file back to Ben. "I can't open this."_

" _What?" Ben asked. "Why not?"  
Mal flushed. "I-I just don't want my past shoved in my face again so soon. How evil I really was. I don't want you to see everything that I did and look at me differently because of it. Just put it back, please."_

 _Ben instead walked toward her, putting a comforting hand on the small of her back. "I won't ever judge you for what you did back then, Mal. As far as I'm concerned, the minute that you chose good, everything you did in the past was erased. You started with a clean slate."_

 _His voice was so genuine and loving that Mal felt tears pricking at her eyes. "Thank you, Ben."_

 _Ben nodded. "Of course," he said softly. "Now, do you want to open this? Because you don't have to."_

 _Mal took the file from him. "No, I do," she said. She opened the file, and the first document on the top was her birth certificate. She didn't even know she had a birth certificate. All this time she assumed that her mom hadn't bothered to fill one out, but there it was. She flipped to the next document, which was made of fine parchment, that had fancy black scroll all across the page, and the Auradon seal at the bottom._

' _Name: Mal Bertha_

 _Date of birth: May 19, 1999_

 _Age: 16_

 _Height: 5' 2"_

 _Weight: 120 lbs_

 _Occupation: Student_

 _Location: Auradon, previously the Isle of the Lost_

 _Alignment:_ _ **GOOD**_ _…'_

 _It went on to list all her past infractions, but all Mal could focus on was the word 'good'. There it was. On paper. Her decision to be good was somehow finalized in her mind now that she saw it on an official document._

 _Mal closed the file, not even bothering to look at anything else. Somehow just seeing that was enough for her._

" _Thank you, Ben," she said, standing on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek._

Ben had really helped her that day to open the file, and seeing that the fact that she'd chosen good on paper had really set the fact in her heart. He had always been the first to jump at the chance to help her, sometimes even before the VKs. Now was her chance to help him, and she had to take it.

She stepped into the room, lighting the oil lamp. She searched the filing cabinets for 'C-Female' and found it, yanking the drawer open. After a few moments of shuffling through the various files, she found the only one labeled 'Crimson'. She put that one down on the desk and then continued her search in the drawer labeled 'J-Male'. There she found two files labeled 'Jack' and removed them both from the cabinet.

First, she opened Crimson's file. It had her birth certificate first, so Mal flipped over to the next page.

' _Name: Crimson LeFou'_

Mal read over this again, not believing her eyes. Somehow this person was related to LeFou, as in Gaston's sidekick. She got up immediately, searching for LeFou's file. She looked under 'L-Male' first, not knowing if anyone knew his first name. Sure enough, his file was there, and she slipped it out.

She opened it and scanned through it, her eyes landing on one important detail.

' _Location: Auradon (see Court Case #395)'_

LeFou still lived in Auradon, and he had relatives who lived there too, relatives who had kidnapped her boyfriend. She flipped over to the next document: his family tree. Scanning over his grandparents and parents, she landed on his ugly face toward the middle of the document. A line connected him to what she recognized as one of the bimbettes, which Mal assumed mean they were married, or had been at some point. A line under that connected to pair to two scowling faces of children at the bottom of the document. Both had flaming red hair, and Mal knew immediately that these were the two that the stable hand had been talking about. Under their portraits were the names 'Crimson' and 'Jack'.

Mal closed the file, frowning. Why was LeFou still living in Auradon? Wasn't he a villain? She knew Gaston lived on the Isle, so why not LeFou?

She had to look for the court case. Then she'd know why LeFou was still living in Auradon, and could find out where as well.

Mal fished her spellbook out of her pocket, knowing she could use it to find out where the court cases were hidden. Although she wasn't technically allowed to use magic on the Isle, she knew that they'd understand if they ever found out. She found a location spell and recited it, and a small ball of light led her to the middle of the library, where there were dozens of thin, hardback books, each labeled with a number.

Mal found the one that had 395 printed on it and took it off the shelf, setting it down on the desk. She sat down and opened the book.

' _Case 395: LeFou_

 _Court Date: March 7, 1995'_

Mal turned the page, and began to read. By the time she reached the end of the case, her eyes were drooping and she was almost asleep. She read one last important detail before she fell asleep.

' _In closing, LeFou is found innocent of the charges pressed against him and will remain a citizen of Auradon. He is permitted to stay Queen Belle's former village, his hometown, for as long as he wishes…'_

 **Author's Note #2:**

 **Alright, so I know this chapter is pretty short. But Mal got some closure as to who kidnapped Ben. Also, the next chapter is short as well, so I'm going to be updating twice this week. Just because I know how frustrating it is to wait for a chapter and then have it be really short.**

 **Also, this story might not make total sense to you right now. You must be thinking 'why was LeFou found innocent?', or 'how the heck does LeFou have kids?' But I knew I wanted someone from Belle and the Beast's storyline to capture Ben, whether that be the person themselves or their kids. LeFou was the first person that came to my mind when I thought of someone who could be innocent enough to still live on the isle but also evil enough to pass it on to their kids. Also, LeFou is one of the most lovable Disney 'villains' out there, and I'd like to think Belle would have compassion on him because he was forced to do all of Gaston's dirty work and still was supportive to the guy. Anyway, that's just my little ramble of the day, pay no mind to me.**

 **As always, please leave me a lovely little review, as I would love to hear what you have to say.**

 **Love you all, and I'll see you mid-week!**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:  
**

 **Hello lovely readers! I am back with another update. And I know I said I would update earlier than this, but I completely forgot about it. So, here it is now, and I'll actually update again this week to make up for that.**

 **Anyway, here's the new chapter.**

 **I don't own it.**

Chapter Four

Mal woke to the sun shining in her eyes. She opened her eyes slowly, at first not remembering what had happened the previous night. Then it came back to her. The servant informing them that Ben had been kidnapped. Going to the library to find the culprits. Finding the political documents from LeFou's court case, and the location of Ben's kidnappers.

Mal sat up, stretching her sore back and wiping the dried saliva from her cheek. She concluded that she must've fell asleep during her research. She closed the book and slipped it back into its place on the shelf.

Then, Mal left the library, wondering where she'd go next. She knew that she couldn't possibly go back to Auradon Prep now, as they were in the middle of a school day and she'd surely get caught for skipping class. In addition to that, she reckoned that she had gotten about four hours of sleep in the library and could really use a comfortable bed to sleep on for a little while.

With that in mind, Mal headed to the one place she knew she'd get the best sleep – Ben's room. Sure, there were around ten guest bedrooms in the palace, but they were cold and unfamiliar. She'd get the best sleep surrounded by something that reminded her of Ben, and she knew for a fact that his bed smelled distinctly of him (but she'd never admit that).

On her way to his bedroom, she passed by Belle and Adam's room. Usually she'd simply pass by this door, and she almost did again. But she heard the muffled cries coming from within the place, and had to make sure that everything was alright.

She tapped her knuckles against the wooden door, and immediately the cries stopped. Mal realized that the door was slightly cracked, so she pushed it open slowly and stepped inside.

"Mal?" asked the soft and lovely voice of the former queen. She sounded quite choked up, and Mal saw that she was sitting on the couch by the lighted fireplace with a mountain of tissues by her side and a book on her lap.

"May I come in?" Mal asked politely, even though she was already technically 'in'.

Belle nodded, patting the cushion next to her, on which Mal took a seat. She looked around the room rather awkwardly before her eyes landed on the book that was perched on the former queen's lap. There was a picture of a goofy blonde-haired toddler grinning up and her. Something about the bright blue eyes reminded her of Ben, and she felt her eyes start to water as she realized that it _was_ Ben.

"I-is that…?" she asked, and Belle nodded, knowing exactly what Mal was trying to ask.

"It is," she confirmed. "It's one of Ben's baby books."

Mal smiled sadly. She had always wanted to look at her boyfriend's baby books, but in her imagination Ben had been there for her to tease.

"Can I…can I look at it?" Mal asked.

Belle set the book on the young woman's lap and watched as her face broke into a smile with the next picture. Ben was still a toddler in this photograph, and was wearing his father's crown. It balanced on his head, half of it hanging over his face, and in the photo he was laughing.

"That's one of my favorites," Belle said. Mal looked up at the aging woman, the tears that were pooling in her eyes spilling over.

"He's so cute," Mal choked out, wiping the tears from her cheeks before they fell onto the photograph.

Belle nodded. "There's another one back here," she said, reaching over and flipping back a few pages, "that I really love. It was on his first birthday." She stopped at a full-sized picture of baby Ben with his face covered in chocolate, his head thrown back, laughing with a mouth full of cake.

Mal laughed through her tears, hugging the book to her chest and wishing with all her might that Ben was there to be humiliated.

"I wish he was here," Mal confessed.

"Me too," Belle agreed. "He'd be so embarrassed."

Mal laughed again, and so did Belle.

"Mal?" Belle asked. "Can I ask you a question?"

Mal nodded, still flipping through the pages of the book.

"Do you love my son?" Belle asked.

Mal's head snapped up. She wasn't expecting that question for a while. She thought about it for a moment. "…I don't know." Then, she asked Belle a question. "How did you know when you loved Adam?"

Belle stared into the fire, a fond smile on her face. "It was the moment he fell to the ground after defeating Gaston. I couldn't live with the fact that he was gone, quite possibly for good. That's when I knew."

Mal thought for a while longer. "That's how I feel right now," she admitted finally. _Wow_ , she thought, _I love Ben._ It seemed so simple to say, only three little words, and yet she knew that it meant so much more.

Belle reached up and stroked the young woman's purple hair. "He loves you too, you know."

Mal nodded. "I do."

The two women turned back to the book, and spent the next hour going through the photos, laughing and crying together.

Mal stopped only when Evie texted her, asking her where she was. "I should be getting back to Auradon Prep," she told Belle, handing her the book.

Belle pushed it back into her hands. "You keep it," she told Mal.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," Belle said sincerely. "Besides, there are plenty more where that came from."

"Thank you," Mal told her. Belle nodded in response, and Mal turned to leave.

"And Mal?" Belle said. Mal stopped and turned to face the woman again. "I'm here, if you want to talk. Even after we find Ben."

Mal smiled gratefully, then left the former queen to herself once more. She walked back to the school, holding the book close to her heart the whole way home. She needed Ben to come back. She needed him there, with her. And not only did she need him, but Belle needed him too. Adam needed him. _Everyone_ needed him to come back.

 **Auhtor's Note #2**

 **Alright, there you go! Just a little chappie featuring a motherly Belle and some cute-ass pictures of Benny-boo. We'll be back to the actual story and plot and stuff next chapter.**

 **Please leave me a lovely little review, it would mean the world.**

 **Lots of love,**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

 **Here's an early update for you all to make up for me forgetting about it last week! Hope you enjoy this chapter, as it gets right back into the plot. Please ignore any minor spelling or grammar mistakes, as I had no time to edit this.**

 **Don't own anything.**

Chapter Five

It was another two weeks before Mal finally cracked in front of her friends. She had told herself over and over that she wouldn't cry in front of them, not ever. But now, she couldn't have stopped the tears if she tried.

Carlos and Jay had come over to hang out with Mal while Evie was on a date with Doug, and once Evie had returned, she sat down and began to complain about how Doug had still not kissed her yet, which caused Mal to think about her and Ben's first kiss.

 _It was a clear day around two weeks after Ben's coronation. He and Mal were at the Enchanted Lake, where he was giving her swimming lessons. The lessons had begun with a few awkward moments as the two teens blushed at the sight of each other in swimsuits, but eventually turned into Mal actually learning a thing or two from her boyfriend._

" _Are you sure you want to do this?" Ben asked as the couple stood on the edge of one of the many waterfalls that fell into the deeper end of the lake._

 _Mal swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat as she looked down into the sparkling blue depths. She knew how to tread water, and how to do a basic stroke. She'd be fine. "Of course," she said, but Ben didn't miss the slight strain in her voice._

" _You don't have to prove anything to me, Mal," he assured her, taking her hands in his. "I'll still think you're amazing even if you don't do this."_

 _Mal smiled up at him. "Thanks, Ben, but I'm going to do it."_

 _Ben shrugged, stepping aside. "Alright," he said. "Go ahead."_

 _And she jumped, landing in the water with a splash, just as Ben had done on the day of their first date all those weeks ago._

 _Ben looked over the edge, smiling gleefully, as he waited for her to appear. As the seconds ticked by, however, she did not come up from under the water. The smile slipped from Ben's face._

" _Mal," he called. "Mal!"_

 _Nobody answered._

" _Mal, you'd better not be trying to scare me!" he shouted._

 _Still nothing._

" _Mal!"_

 _Without any more hesitation, he dove into the water after her. Once under, he opened his eyes and looked around. There was Mal, looking around, panic in her eyes, as she tried to free her ankle from a tangle of seaweed on the lake's floor. Ben swam over to her quickly, easily getting rid of the plant and hooking an arm around her waist. He pushed off the sand, bringing both him and Mal up to the surface. Mal took in a huge gulp of the air, coughing and spluttering. Ben swam to the nearest ledge and pulled himself and his girlfriend onto it._

" _You scared me," Ben admitted to her with the utmost sincerity in his voice._

 _Mal looked at him apologetically, but before she even opened her mouth to say anything, he captured her lips in a kiss. She recovered from the initial shock of it quickly, and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck. The kiss itself was simple and sweet, as a first kiss should be, but the feelings that blossomed in Mal's heart were anything but simple._

"Mal, honey, are you crying?" Evie asked, snapping Mal out of her daydream.

Mal looked around at her friends, all of whom were looking at her, concern etched onto their features.

Mal wanted more than anything to wipe the tears off her cheeks and pretend as if nothing had happened, but she knew that the other VKs wouldn't buy it. They saw the tears on her face. They knew something was up. And Mal couldn't hide that. So she burst into tears right there, in front of all three of them.

"I just…I miss him so much," she sobbed.

Evie wrapped her arms around her best friend, and soon the boys joined in the hug.

"I know, sweetie," Evie said comfortingly. "I know."

"W-what if they can't find him?" Mal stammered. "What if he never comes back?"

"He will, Mal," Carlos assured her. "He's coming back."

"They've been looking for weeks!" Mal cried. "And they still haven't found him!"

Everyone was silent. Mal had a point. The guards had been searching non-stop for almost a month now, and it seemed like they were giving up hope. Suddenly, Jay spoke.

"Then maybe the guards aren't doing a good job," he said, pulling away from the embrace. The others followed suit, turning to look at the long-haired boy, who now had a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Maybe it's time _someone else_ stepped in."

Carlos and Evie exchanged grins, knowing exactly where Jay was going with this. Mal looked hopeful.

The VKs were going to search for the king themselves.

* * *

"Okay, so this record right here shows that LeFou wasn't sent to the Isle like the rest of the villains, and that he was allowed to live in the village," Mal said, and slammed a large, dusty book down on the table. The four were in the palace library, letting Mal explain to them her theory on where Ben could've gone. "Now, I looked into it a bit more and found that he had twins with one of the Bimbettes. Crimson and Jack are their names. Ben's calendar says that the day he disappeared he had a scheduled meeting with Crimson and Jack LeFou."

"You think that they could have something to do with it?" Evie asked.

Mal nodded. "I tried to talk to Cogsworth about what happened at the meeting, but he won't tell me a single thing. Now I know that Lumière will tell me something, but Cogsworth watches me like a hawk whenever I'm here, and he'll stop me. So, we need a distraction." She looked over to Jay and Carlos. "That's where you two come in."

Jay and Carlos exchanged sly grins.

"You got it," Carlos said, and with that, the two were off.

Evie laughed at the two's antics, and Mal found herself smiling a bit.

"Come on, let's go find Lumière," Mal said, dragging Evie out of the library with her.

They raced through the large corridors of the castle down to Lumière's office, where they found him chatting with Fifi and sipping some tea.

"Lumière!" Mal exclaimed.

"Ah, Mal, _chéri_ ," the slender man's face broke into a wide smile. "What can I do for you?"

"We – that is, Evie and I – need to know what happened at that meeting the night Ben disappeared."

Lumière's face grew serious. "Mal, I'm not sure if I should be telling you these things. You know how dear old Cogsworth can get."

"Don't worry, I had Jay and Carlos distract him," Mal said.

The smile was back on the older man's face, this time conspiring and mischievous. "Oh that's wonderful. The man needs some excitement in his life."  
"So, can you tell us?" Mal prodded, wanting to get it over with as soon as she could. The faster they found Ben, the better.

"Well, the thing is, Mal, Ben never showed up to that meeting," Lumière explained.

Mal's heart jumped. "Did LeFou's kids show up?"

Lumière shook his head.

Mal felt her anger flare. "And nobody seemed to think that this was suspicious?" she shouted, wanting to grab ahold of the frail man by the lapels on his coat and give him a good shaking. But, she refrained from this and instead stormed out of the office, leaving Evie, who curtsied at the man.

" _Merci_ ," she said before skittering after the livid purple-haired girl.

"Mal!" she shouted, running up to her friend, who was stomping down the hall toward the exit. "Mal, wait."

Mal whipped around. Tears ran down her face, and her eyes glowed slightly, the threat of something even worse behind them. "What?" she snapped.

"Mal, he was only trying to help," Evie pointed out. "He didn't mean any harm."

"They could've found Ben by now if they just thought for a single second!" Mal shouted. "And now- I don't even want to think about what those villains could've done to him!"

"You don't know that they're the ones who even took him," Evie said.

Mal's eyes flashed. "All evidence points to it, oh _smart one_. Of course they're the ones who took him! Are you stupid?"

Evie opened her mouth, shocked. "I know this hurts you, Mal, I do. But I don't think that's any reason to lash out at the people who care. The people who are trying to help you."

Mal rolled her glowing eyes. "You don't know, Evie. Obviously." With that, she turned and started to run.

Evie bit back tears. "Where are you going?" she shouted.

"I'm going to find Ben!" Mal shouted back. "Seeing as I'm the only one who even cares about him anymore!"

 **Ooh, what's going to happen now?**

 **Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, I love reading reviews so so much!**

 **Anyway, after this lovely little update, I'll be back to regularly posting each weekend. Hope you all have a lovely rest of your week, and I'll be back here this Sunday!**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey dudes! Happy Sunday!**

 **So, here I am with another chapter. This one picks up a little bit after the previous one, which I encourage you to read if you haven't already. I updated on an unscheduled day, so you might not have caught that.**

 **I don't own Descendants.**

Chapter Six

The forest was dark, and Mal could've sworn she heard branches cracking all around her. But this was the only way to the abandoned village that Belle used to live in before she had met Adam. The only people who lived there anymore were the people from fairytales who weren't evil enough to be banished to the Isle, but weren't good enough to live with the others in the main villages of Auradon. People like LeFou.

Nobody even visited this town, which surprised Mal. If it was the place that Belle had grown up, you'd think it'd be a tourist stop, but no. The place was practically deserted.

 _Probably because nobody wants to walk for hours in a dark forest that's notorious for having ferocious wolves_ , Mal thought to herself.

Another branch snapped, and this time Mal knew she wasn't imagining it. "Who's there?" she called.

Nobody answered.

"Show yourself!" Mal commanded.

Again, she was met with silence, so she continued, her footsteps a little faster. Then, suddenly, someone jumped out from the trees beside her, landing in front of her.

Mal screamed, scrambling backwards. However, she ran into two people behind her, and whipped around to come face to face with Evie and Jay.

"Boo," Evie said, smirking.

Jay burst into laughter, and Carlos, the one who had jumped out at her, joined in.

"Man, we really scared you!" Carlos exclaimed.

"I don't think I've ever heard you scream that loud!" Jay said, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Like you wouldn't be afraid of someone following you in these woods!" Mal said defensively. "At night!"

The boys laughed still.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Mal asked.

"You don't think we'd let you do this alone, do you?" Evie asked, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

Mal looked up at the girl, apology clearly written on her face. "Look, E-"

"Don't worry about it," Evie told her. "I understand."

Mal wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Thank you."

When they let go of each other, the boys swooped in.

"So, what's the plan?" Carlos asked.

"Who says we need a plan?" Jay wondered. "I say we just go in and kick some LeFou ass!"

"I don't know exactly how it's going to work, but I was actually thinking something along those lines," Mal admitted.

"I don't know…" Evie said.

"I can't think of anything else," Mal said. "Can anyone?"

"I can't either, but think about it," Evie started. "Say we do fight them. If they beat us, they'll take off with Ben and it'll take even longer for us to get him back."  
Mal considered this.

"But what if we win?" Jay asked.

Mal shook her head. "No, Evie's right. It's too risky."

The four thought as they walked through the forest, which seemed to be never-ending.

"Evie and I will distract them as Jay and Carlos go to get them," Mal suggested.

"Risky," Evie concluded after a moment of thinking.

Mal cried out in desperation. "This is hopeless! Everything is too risky! You know who could've thought of a great plan by now? Ben! But he's been kidnapped by these potentially dangerous people and we have no idea how to get him back!" As she shouted these things, she felt tears springing to her eyes. Again.

Evie's hand slipped into hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and Jay did the same with her other hand.

"We'll get him back, Mal," Carlos told her. "I promise."

Mal bit her lip, nodding.

Without warning, a light showed up in the distance of the dark forest, and soon that light split into two. The two lights, presumably lamps, were rapidly approaching.

"Hide!" Mal demanded in a hushed tone, and the four teenagers slid quickly into the thick foliage on the side of the path, completely hidden from view.

"Damn, he's always hungry!" A voice – distinctly female - shouted.

"I know," said another, this one male. "But we've got to feed him. He'll eat _us_ if we don't."

"We should've seen it coming I guess," the female said. "I mean, he is a king after all."

Mal felt one of her friends grab her wrist from beside her, and knew she was thinking the same thing. _Ben._

The two people ran by their hiding place, and Mal caught a glance of long, scarlet curls.

The VKs waited a minute before they emerged.

"They were talking about Ben, I know it," Mal told the others, who agreed immediately. "And that stable hand told us that the people who took Ben had red hair."

"Come on, we have to go quickly," Jay prodded, and took off running down the path. The others quickly followed.

Before they knew it, they'd reached the end of the forest and were running into the streets of an old town, past a fountain that probably was beautiful once, and down to where Mal knew Belle used to live. Something told her that was where they were hiding Ben.

Suddenly, they heard a loud roar that stopped them in their tracks.

" _Ben_ ," Mal said, continuing toward the cottage at an inhuman speed. She was so close. So close after all these months of being so far away.

She threw open the door to the cottage, running through the living room and kitchen and down into the basement, not really caring where her friends were at this point.

What she saw in the basement made her stop and stare. There was a giant, horned creature pacing in a small cage. Its fur was matted and there were large, swollen gashes running over the span of its chest. It turned its ugly face toward her, and in that instant Mal knew it was the king. His eyes still shone the bright blue that they always had, even when they were hidden behind an unrecognizable version of himself.

She took a step forward, placing her hands on the bars of his cage, but he roared menacingly and she shuffled away.

The other three teenagers finally showed up, out of breath. The beast made them all freeze, fright on all their features.

"Is that- is that Ben?" Carlos asked.

Mal nodded. "It's him."

"What happened?" Jay asked.

"I-I don't really know, but I can sense some magic," Mal said. "I'm assuming they cast a spell on him to make him this way."

"Well, can you _un_ -make him this way?"

Mal shook her head. "I don't have my spellbook with me."

"Then how are we supposed to get him out of here?" Evie asked. "He looks like he wants to bite all of our heads off. Simultaneously."

"My mother taught me how to do wordless sleeping spells," Mal told them. "So I'm sure if I just put him under a mild one of those we should be able to get him out of here. I need someone to keep an eye out for Crimson and Jack, though."

"I'll do it," Evie offered. "I won't be much help down here anyway." With that, she ran up the stairs.

"Okay, well, this might be a little rusty but here goes nothing," Mal said. She closed her eyes, getting as close to the bars as she dared.

Jay and Carlos watched as the beast, or Ben, apparently, suddenly because entranced by the young woman, and then slowly but surely fell asleep.

"Whoa, that was awesome," Carlos exclaimed.

"Perks of being Maleficent's daughter, I guess," Mal said with a bitter laugh. "Now let's get him outta here."

She went over to the cage door and rattled it, but there was a lock.

"Shit," she said under her breath. "We need a key."

"Leave it to me," Jay proclaimed, stepping forward and pulling a bobby pin from his long hair. He fiddled with the lock for a few minutes before a click was heard throughout the basement and he pulled the lock off.

"You're a lifesaver, Jay," Mal commented, pulling the doors open. "Can I get you guys to carry him?"

The boys stepped into the cell, lifting the beast onto their shoulders with a lot of effort.

Just then, Evie came running down the stairs. "Guys, someone's coming!"

 **Mwah ha ha ha ha! I can't resist a good cliffhanger.**

 **So this chapter might've been a bit confusing when they find Ben, but basically it's this: Ben has been turned into a version of the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. You'll find out more as to why he is like this in the next few chapters, but I wanted to play with the idea that he was able to turn into a beast because he has his father's blood in him. Idk if that makes any sense, but just go with it.**

 **Please leave me a review on what you thought of this chapter!**

 **Have a great week, and I'll see you all next Sunday!**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	7. Chapter 7

**Welcome back, lovelies!**

 **Here's a brand-new chapter for you all, hope you enjoy!**

Chapter Seven

"Oh, shoot," Mal muttered under her breath, pacing around the room. "This isn't good. How are we supposed to get out of here?"

The four looked around the room, Ben still on Carlos and Jay's shoulders.

"Behind the staircase, look!" Carlos shouted, pointing.

There was a large, gaping hole close to the ceiling, likely where a door had once been. Mal and Evie ushered the boys ahead of them, and eventually they had all scrambled out, and were making their way back to the village as fast as they could.

"Hey!" a voice yelled from the cottage, obviously angry.

"Keep going," Mal urged, making sure to run behind the boys.

They kept running, the footsteps behind them getting louder as they went. They reached the town square before Jay and Carlos started to slow down.

"Don't slow down!" Evie scolded.

"He's heavy," Carlos complained. "I don't know how much further we can go."

Jay nodded in agreement.

"Please," Mal begged, looking between the two. "We're so close to getting him out of here."

Jay and Carlos looked at each other, then looked back at Mal.

"Okay," Jay said. "We'll keep going."

Mal smiled gratefully. "Thank you," she said. "Thank you so much."

Jay and Carlos adjusted the beast on their shoulders while Evie and Mal checked behind them to make sure that Crimson and Jack weren't too close behind.

"Psst!" whispered someone from beside them.

The four looked over, alarmed. One of the doors to the small stores was cracked open slightly, and they could see a sliver of feminine face through it.

"Listen," the voice said. "I can hide you in here!"

The four exchanged glances, not sure if they should trust the person.

"Who are you?" Mal asked.

"Look, I'll explain everything, just come inside," the person urged, opening the door.

The footsteps that had been following them the whole way were getting louder. Mal felt her heart rate quicken. Both of their options were risky, but one was clearly better than the other. There wasn't much of a choice.

"Come on," she beckoned to her friends, stepping quickly into the store. Everyone followed, and the person shut the door as quickly as she could.

"Follow me," they said, and walked over to a door in the back.

They did, and she opened the door to reveal a rickety wooden staircase, lit by a single light handing from the ceiling.

"Let's go," the woman prompted, waving her hand.

Evie followed her first, and then Jay and Carlos with Ben, and finally, Mal, who shut the door behind her. As they reached the top of the stairs, the woman flicked a switch, flooding the room with light, revealing a color-filled living room.

Jay and Carlos rested Ben on the couch.

"Okay, who are you?" Mal demanded.

"My name is Laurette," the woman said. "But you might better know me as one of the Bimbettes."

Evie's eyes widened. "Really? You're a Bimbette?"

Laurette nodded.

"Why are you helping us?" Mal asked.

"I know who you guys are," Laurette admitted. "I know that is the king." She pointed to the beast lying on the couch. "I know that you are trying to rescue him from my neice and nephew."

"But they're your family," Evie said. "Shouldn't you be helping them?"

Laurette shook her head, a dark look crossing her face. "They're hardly my family. They are evil, and have been since they were young. Just like their wretched father, who should've been shipped off to the Isle of the Lost with Gaston. Besides, I respect the royal family, despite not liking Belle in the beginning."

Mal nodded, intrigued by the woman before them. She wasn't recognizable as a Bimbette. She was blonde and curvy, just as she had been in all the stories, but she was aged now. Her face had a few wrinkles, and she wore minimal, if any, makeup. Her dress was no longer revealing and long, it was now more modest and knee- length. Her eyes were blue and there was a happy twinkle in them. She wasn't what Mal had ever expected the triplets to act. She just looked…normal. In fact, she even seemed wise and kind, much like all the other old princesses now were.

"You four – or rather, five – should spend the night," she offered. "Crimson and Jack will be out there all night looking for you, and I wouldn't want you wandering through those nasty woods this late at night."

"You wouldn't mind us crashing here?" Mal asked.

Laurette shook her head. "Of course not. I don't get much company around here anymore. And I'll even help you get to the palace tomorrow morning."

Mal smiled at the woman. "Really? You'd do that for us?"

Laurette smiled back. "I would. Anything to help you kids. You know, I knew from the moment there was an announcement in the papers about you four that you would turn out to be good kids. I'm glad Ben gave you a chance."

Mal looked over at the beast, still out cold, and smiled gently. "Me too."

Laurette watched the girl, who was so obviously in love, with a twinkle in her eyes and a smile on her face. "Tea, anyone?" she asked, walking over to the kitchen.

The VKs slept with one eye open that night, not sure if Crimson and Jack would be able to find them. However, when morning finally dawned, there was still no sign of either of them, so they all took a sigh of relief.

"Good morning, dears," Laurette said as the four teens trumped into the kitchen, sleep still weighing their eyelids down. "I've made you some breakfast. Hope everyone likes pancakes!"

Carlos and Jay perked up at the sound of the delicious breakfast food, and were happy to take a few helpings from Laurette. Evie took two pancakes, hungry from all the previous day's activities. Mal barely ate, her eyes on Ben the whole time. ("What?" she asked when Evie asked her about it. "I'm just making sure the sleeping spell doesn't wear off.")

"Alright, well I know you are wanting to get back to the palace right away, so I packed you all lunches to go," Laurette said, handing them each a brown paper bag, "and I got the horse and wagon all ready to go."

"Horse and wagon?" Jay asked through a pancake. "You mean we don't have to carry him the whole way back?"

Laurette nodded, and both boys let out a sigh of relief. "It'll also get you there faster, and if you encounter my niece and nephew along the way, you be able to outrun them."

They trekked down to the woman's backyard, where a brown Clydesdale, hooked up to a rather large covered wagon, was tossing its head, impatient.

"This is Acorn," Laurette introduced them, patting the horse's thick neck. "He's a great horse, and is so excited to be pulling this wagon again. It's been years. He'll take great care of you."

Mal looked over at the woman, her eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you so much, Laurette," she said sincerely. "You went out of your way to help us, and you don't even know us. This will be recognized."

Laurette waved the suggestion away. "I just did what any citizen would've done; it's no big deal."

Mal shook her head. "It is a big deal," she insisted. "Thank you so much."

The older woman gave the purple-haired teen a large hug. "It was my pleasure sweetheart. Now you go and save that man of yours."

Mal blushed, going over to help Jay and Carlos load Ben into the wagon.

Laurette hugged each of the kids before standing back, allowing them to set off on their journey. "Come visit whenever you want!" she called, waving.

With that, Evie clicked to the horse and they sped off into the woods.

About an hour into the trip, they were settled into the wagon. Jay and Carlos were laughing and goofing off, Evie was threatening to shove them out of the wagon, and Mal was watching the beast in his slumber. His chest rose and fell steadily, and every once in a while, he would snore just a bit, which made Mal smile fondly, remembering all those nights they spent together before he was kidnapped. Ben would be exhausted from all his meetings and kingly duties, and sometimes would doze off while Mal was talking. She would shake him awake, tease him for being such an old man, and then insist that it was time for her to go and for him to get some sleep. Most nights he would let her go with a hug and a kiss, but then one time he refused to let her leave and they had gotten in trouble for 'canoodling in the library', as Mrs. Potts had put it.

" _Ben," Mal cooed, shaking him gently._

 _Ben woke with a start, and Mal could already see the guilt forming in his eyes._

" _Mal, I'm so sorry," he began, but Mal cut him off with a kiss._

" _It's okay," she insisted. "But, you know that means it's time for me to go." She stood, packing her things into her bag._

" _Mal," Ben pleaded. "Please stay."_

 _Mal shook her head with a teasing smile playing her features. "You need some rest, old man."_

" _What if I promise to stay awake?" Ben asked._

" _How are you going to manage that, sleepyhead?" Mal inquired. "You can barely keep your eyes open."_

 _Ben smirked at her suggestively, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her onto his lap. "We could do something that doesn't involve keeping our eyes open…"_

 _He pressed his lips onto hers, causing her own eyes to flutter shut. Quickly he deepened to kiss, and she reached up to cup his cheek, stroking his jaw with her thumb. Soon, however, she felt his lips getting lazier with their movements until they almost stilled._

" _Ben," she laughed, pulling away. "You need to go to sleep, honey."_

 _Ben shook his head, his bottom lip poking out jokingly._

" _You almost fell asleep kissing me," Mal pointed out._

" _Did not!" Ben protested, poking her ribs._

 _Mal squealed, squirming away from his intruding fingers and retaliating with her own. Ben brought her lips to his again, and they kissed, forgetting the tickling altogether._

" _The library is supposed to be a quiet place-oh my goodness!" Mrs. Potts interrupted them, and they broke away from each other. Mal scrambled quickly off the king's lap, thoroughly embarrassed by the situation, whereas Ben just chuckled, unaffected._

" _I'm sorry ma'am, I was just leaving," she grabbed her bag, not even looking in Ben's direction before brushing past the blustering old woman and hightailing it out of the library._

 _"Mal, come on, wait!" Ben called after her._

 _Mrs. Potts gave the young king her most motherly glare. "You know better than to canoodle in the library Benjamin Florian!" she berated him, shaking a plump finger in his face._

" _Mrs. Potts-" he started apologetically._

" _Oh, just go after her," the old woman said, breaking her glare and waving him away. "You're off the hook this time young man! But only this once!"_

" _Thanks Mrs. Potts!" Ben called as he raced after Mal._

" _Mal!" he called, running up to her._

 _She glared up at him, her face still bright red. "I despise you."_

" _What?" he asked. "It wasn't my fault!"_

" _If you would've just let me leave when I said I was going to leave…" Mal said._

" _Mal, it wasn't that bad," Ben insisted, taking her hands._

" _It was embarrassing!" Mal cried._

" _Look, it happens all the time," Ben said comfortingly. "Mrs. Potts wasn't actually mad."_

 _Mal glared at him again, her eyes flashing dangerously. "All the time?" she demanded. "So you just kiss all the girls in the library then?" She brushed past him, her pace increasing._

" _Mal, no," Ben said, running to catch up with her. "No no no no no no no. That is not what I meant."_

 _Mal rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure it's not," she said sarcastically._

" _No, Mal, I mean other people get caught in there all the time! I mean Lumière and Fifi! Chip and his girlfriend! My_ mother _and_ father _! Not me!"_

" _Belle and Adam canoodle in the library?" Mal asked, suddenly more interested in that scandal than anything else._

 _Ben laughed. "Yes, my mom and dad_ canoodle _in the library."_

 _Mal laughed as well._

" _Not me with other girls," Ben insisted. "Only you."_

" _I'm the only girl you canoodle with in the library?" Mal asked, still finding Mrs. Potts's word choice quite amusing._

" _You're the only one," Ben promised. "Mal, I-" He stopped, opting instead to place a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Mal."_

 _Mal smiled up at him, oblivious to his slip-up. "Goodnight Ben."_

Mal smiled sadly, stroking the fur of the beast's paw fondly. He was about to tell her that he loved her in that moment, she knew it now. Right then, he was going to confess. But he held back, probably for her sake. Probably because she wasn't ready yet, and he knew it.

"Mal, I hate to wipe that love-struck look off your face, but we've got a problem," Evie said.

Mal looked out the back of the wagon to see a young woman and a young man, both with flaming red hair, running at full speed towards them, murder in their eyes.

 **I know, I know, you hate me for putting another cliffhanger in there. I'm evil.**

 **But can we talk about that flashback that Mal had? I don't know why, but I really enjoyed writing that one.**

 **Anyway, please leave me a review on what you thought of this chapter!**

 **Until next week,**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	8. Chapter 8

**OMG YOU GUYS IT'S BEEN A WHILE I'M SO SORRY**

 **I just finished by exam week and I'm done with school! Woohoo! But I was cramming on Sunday, and that's why I wasn't able to upload a chapter for you guys. And, now that school's out for me, my boss has me working extra hours so I'm even more busy. Augh. But I promise I'll get these chapters out to you on time. Again, I'm so sorry about missing last week.**

 **Ignore any spelling and grammatical mistakes, I had no time to proofread. Enjoy the chapter!**

 **Don't own a single thing**

Chapter Eight

"Can the horse go faster?" Mal asked Evie, looking worriedly back at their pursuers.

"I don't know," Evie answered. "He's tired.

"Well, they're gaining on us, so we have to do something!" Carlos exclaimed.

"What do you suggest we do, Carlos?" Evie snapped.

Carlos shrunk back. "I don't know," he admitted quietly.

"Then why don't you shut the-"

"I have a spell!" Mal exclaimed, interrupting Evie. " _Have our captors slow their pace, so that we can win this race_."

A little ball of green light shot towards the twins, hitting them. They slowed considerably, and the wagon sped ahead. Eventually they turned a corner, and the twins were out of sight.

"We're almost in town," Evie said, pointing ahead, where they could see light and people passing the clearing.

"Don't slow down," Mal told her. "They'll get out of the way. We need to get back as soon as we can, and we also can't have people trying to peek inside and seeing Ben."

"I'll run ahead," Jay said, hopping from the wagon and speeding ahead of them.

The other three listened as he shouted for people to get out of the way, and eventually they were speeding through the cobblestone streets, hearing the shrieks of people as they moved out of the way last-minute.

The horse galloped through town square, and soon they were pulling to a stop in front of the palace. The guards came running down the stairs toward the wagon.

"The king is in here!" Mal shouted to them, hopping out of the wagon to let them in.

The large doors to the palace opened, and Adam and Belle came running out, along with Mrs. Potts, Lumière, Cogsworth, and Doug.

"Mal, what's going on?" Belle asked.

"We found Ben," Mal answered, pointing to the wagon. The guards were carrying the beast out of the wagon, and everyone from the palace ran over.

"My baby," Belle cooed, stroking the fur.

"Why is he like this?" Mal asked, but no one answered. They were all focused on getting him into the palace, into the care of a doctor.

Their questions would have to wait.

Two hours later, Mal was pacing outside the room that they had put Ben in. Evie and Doug stood together, Doug wrapping an arm around her comfortingly. Carlos and Jay sat on the floor against the wall opposite the door.

The door opened, and all the teens stopped and watched as all the healers, all the palace workers, and then finally, Belle and Adam stepped out, solemn looks on their faces. Everyone but Belle and Adam walked down the corridor and back to their other jobs.

"How is he?" Mal asked.

"The doctors can't figure out how to turn him back," Belle said.

"The magic used to turn him is too strong?"

"There was no magic used to turn him," Adam told her. "The only magic those kids used was to keep him that way."

"Then how is he like that?"

"I'm afraid he gets that from me," Adam said. "He has my blood, so he had the ability to turn into a beast – but only if he gets very angry. Once he calms down, however, he turns back."

Mal nodded. That explained why she'd never seen him in his beast form. He rarely got angry, and when he did, it wasn't extreme.

"So they can't figure out how to break the spell that's keeping him that way?" Evie asked.

Belle nodded. "Precisely."

"Would I be able to help with that?" Mal asked hopefully.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," Belle told her sadly. "We've got some of the most powerful healers working on him, who have been using magic their whole lives."

Mal looked down. There was nothing she could do. She hated feeling helpless.

"Mal, you rescued him," Belle pointed out, wrapping her arms around the teen. "You've already done so much for him."

Mal accepted the woman's hug, burying her face in her shoulder.

"Is he going to stay like that forever?" Carlos asked.

Adam shrugged. "We don't know."

Belle released Mal and then gestured towards the door. "Do you want to go see him?"

"Can I?" she asked.

"Of course," Adam confirmed.

Mal nodded, and stepped toward the door.

"What about you four?" Belle asked the others.

"We'll let Mal go first," Evie said.

Mal stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. The beast lay on the bed, still asleep from her charm.

"Hey, Ben," she said, sitting on the chair that was pulled up beside his bed. "We, uh, we had quite the time looking for you yesterday…" she told him the whole story, knowing that he couldn't hear her, but finding comfort in being able to talk to him again. Eventually she fell asleep, still stroking the beast's fur.

When she woke, she heard voices from outside the open door, talking in hushed tones.

"His mind is conflicted," said the voice of Adam. "Ben is still in there, but the beast has main control over him."

"I understand that, honey, and I know that Ben wouldn't hurt a soul, but the beast is dangerous," Belle pointed out.

Mal picked her head up from the bed, blinking to take in the light.

"We can't put our son in a cage, Belle," Adam told her. "It's not right."

 _Cage?!_ Mal was suddenly very awake.

"What's not right is to let him hurt people," Belle said. "I know that if Ben were here, that's what he'd want to happen."

"Belle?" Mal asked, standing up and turning around, tears welling up in her eyes. "You're going to put Ben in a cage?"

Belle looked over to the teen, a mixture of determination and guilt on her features. "It hasn't been decided yet, but it's an idea."

Mal shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. "No, you can't," she said. "That's what _they_ did to him."

"Honey, when the beast wakes up, he's going to be very dangerous," Belle said. "This isn't Ben anymore, it's the beast. Ben's still there, he's still fighting to get out, but until that happens, he has to be restrained somehow."

Mal frowned. "No!" she yelled. "You can't put him in a cage! He's still a person! He's still your _son_!"

There was a low growl from behind them, and Mal whipped around to see the beast sitting up, his teeth bared and eyes angry.

"Mal, move," Adam warned. Mal stood, frozen with fear as the beast stood up, advancing toward her.

"Mal!" Belle cried.

The beast was inches away from the teen before he stopped, another growl escaping his throat. But, just as Mal thought he was about to strike, he whimpered and grabbed at his head, twisting and stumbling away. With a loud roar, he ran full speed at the window, causing it to shatter. He ran out the gaping hole, not even flinching at the glass that was stuck in his skin now.

"Ben!" Mal yelled, racing after him, Adam and Belle close behind.

Soon they were joined by the other three VKs, and they watched as the beast tried to scale the tall stone wall and failed, falling onto his back. He stood again, facing the others now, teeth bared once more.

"Stand back!" the former king yelled, forcing the teenagers and his wife behind him.

They all watched with heavy hearts as the Beast struggled against Ben's conscience. He seemed to be in great distress by the way he whimpered and clutched at his head.

Mal, barely able to stand watching Ben being controlled by the beast any longer, broke away from the group and rushed over to his side. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, trapping his own arms to his body.

"Mal, no!" Belle cried. "He's going to hurt you!"

Mal ignored the woman and pressed herself against the beast harder. He struggled against her grasp, but she refused to let go.

"Ben, it's me," she called. "It's Mal!"

The Beast still struggled, but Mal wouldn't give up.

"I know you're there, Ben!" She called. "It's Mal!"

Still, the Beast struggled and still, Mal persisted.

"Ben, please!" She cried. "Don't hurt these people, Ben! They love you!" She paused before adding, "I love you!"

The Beast wrenched his arms out of her grasp and shoved her roughly against a tree. She took the impact on her back and cried out from the immense pain.  
Mal, collapsed against the tree, could only watch as the Beast approached her slowly. It hurt to move her limbs, and the only thing she could think to do was keep talking to Ben.

"Ben, please don't hurt me." She spoke softly, because everything in the forest was silent except for the Beast's heavy breathing and her voice. She knew he could hear her. "I know you don't want to hurt me. It's me. It's Mal. Don't hurt me. Please, Ben."

She hated how weak she sounded, but she couldn't be strong right now. If she was strong, the faerie inside her would come out and hurt Ben, which was the very last thing she wanted to do.

The Beast finally reached her, and rose his claws to strike. Mal closed her eyes, waiting for the impact. But the impact never came. Instead, there was a bright flash that blinded Mal even with her eyes closed. The woods were silent afterward, nobody dared to move a muscle.

"Mal?" Asked the quiet, oh-so-familiar voice of Ben.

Mal opened her eyes and locked eyes with the real, human version of Ben for a split second before he crumpled to the ground.

 **AND THERE'S ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER OMG I'M TERRIBLE TO Y'ALL I'M SO SORRY I WROTE THIS A MONTH AGO WHEN I WAS FEELING EXTRA EVIL**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter dudes, lemme know by leaving me a review!**

 **Love y'all so much! I'll see you next time (which I promise will be ON TIME).**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Ben!" Mal cried, standing up and rushing over to him. She knelt beside him on the damp ground, brushing the long, scraggly hair out of his face. His eyes were closed, but he was still breathing shallowly.

In an instant, the others were by her side. Tears were streaming down Belle's face, but she didn't make a huge show of it. Instead, she reached over and took her son's hand. "We need to get him to the healers," she said, looking up at Adam.

Adam nodded, and everyone stepped aside as he lifted his son's limp body into his arms.

"He'll be okay, right?" Mal asked, wrapping her arms around herself. When nobody answered, she felt tears stinging her eyes. "Right?"

Belle went over and wrapped her arms around the girl, who turned to her and buried her face in her shoulder. "We'll see, Mal," Belle said. "We'll see."

An hour later, they were back where they had started, all five teens waiting outside a closed door. Belle and Adam were talking with the healers inside the room.

"This is killing me," Mal said finally, after a while of waiting. "I can't sit out here any longer!" She stood up, and nobody stopped her as she opened the door and barged in.

Belle and Adam looked up, along with the two healers. Ben was unconscious in the bed.

"Mal?" Belle asked. "Is something wrong?"

Mal looked back over to the former king and queen. "I need to know what's going on with Ben," she said. "I can't sit out there and wait with the others."

Adam and Belle exchanged hesitant glances.

"Please," Mal pleaded.

"Okay," Belle said, and pulled up a seat next to her.

"Healer John, would you tell Mal what you told us?" Adam asked.

The healer looked warily at the VK, but went along with what they told him to do. "So, we still don't know what kind of magic those kids used against Ben to keep him in his Beast form, but we do know that whatever spell it was is broken now. He's now battling the after-effects of the magic, and as far as we can tell, they're pretty serious. If he can get through them, he should make a full recovery. If not…"

Mal frowned. "What?"

"His life could be in danger," the other healer explained.

"Well how will we know if he's recovering?" Mal asked.

"If he wakes up, his body should be able to recover quickly," Healer John said. "It is exponentially more difficult to recover from the after-effects of strong magic when one is unconscious."

"Can't we wake him up with magic?" Mal asked, even though she already knew the answer. More magic would make him worse.

The healer said just that, and with that they left the room. Belle and Adam spent a few minutes with their son as Mal stepped out of the room to greet the other teens.

"How is he?" Doug asked, pushing himself off the wall that he was leaning against.

Mal shook her head, trying her best to suppress the tears that were threatening to spill onto her cheeks. "He's asleep right now," she told them, and that was all she could get out. The others asked no further questions, and patiently waited until Belle and Adam appeared. Their faces were solemn, and Mal could tell that the former queen had been crying, even though she was trying to hide it.

"We're going to get some rest," Adam said, wrapping a protective arm around his wife's waist. "Mrs. Potts will be here shortly to watch after him, but take your time in visiting him. Call for us if there are any issues at all."

The teenagers all agreed, and with that Ben's parents left. Mal could hear Belle's muffled cries echoing off the empty walls, and tried not to start crying again herself.

The others made their way to the door and filed into the room. Evie, who was the last one in line, turned to Mal.

"Are you coming?" she asked gently, and Mal shook her head.

"You guys go ahead," Mal told her. "I'll be right in."

Evie nodded, and shut the door behind her as she went in. As soon as that door closed, Mal sunk to the floor, burying her hands in her face and letting her tears fall silently.

Ben was in there and fighting for his life. After being gone for months, he was asleep, and it wasn't certain that he was going to wake up. She felt like someone had ripped open her chest and was stabbing her heart repeatedly.

Mal felt a cool hand on her shoulder and looked up. She was instantly met with Mrs. Pott's plump face and once-twinkling blue eyes looking at her with sympathy.

"Come here, dear," she said, opening her arms.

Mal stood up and sank into the woman's embrace, burying her tear-stained face in the woman's frilly apron. She sobbed brokenly into Mrs. Potts's shoulder while the older woman rubbed her back soothingly, whispering comforting words to her.

"Are you ready to go in and see him?" Mrs. Potts asked after a while.

Mal nodded, and took a few steps to the door. Through the door, she could hear Evie's melodic voice saying, "She needs you, Ben. She'd never admit it, but she does. We all do."

Mal pushed open the door, wiping the tears from her face.

Four of the other teens in the room looked up, but the one whose eyes she craved to see stayed asleep.

"We'll give you a moment," Jay said, and collectively the others stood up and left, leaving Mal alone in the room with her lover.

Tentatively, Mal made her way over to his bedside and took the seat that Evie had previously occupied. For a few minutes, she simply looked at his sleeping figure. His skin was sallow and had many cuts and bruises littering it. Mal could see a bandage poking out of his shirt, which was loose on him even though it had been too small for him only months ago. The bandage was evidently for the gashes that she had seen on his chest when they had first found him in beast form.

"Ben," she managed to choke out. "You have to wake up, Ben."

She reached out and took his hand, his human hand, in hers, giving it a tight squeeze. "Please," she begged. "For me." She brought his hand to her lips, pressing them against his knuckles.

Mal reached over and pushed his overgrown hair from his face. "Evie was right," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I need you."

A knock on the door caused her to look up, but she didn't loosen her grip on Ben. Evie poked her head in.

"Hey, Mal," she said. "The others are here."

Mal stood up as Lonnie, Jane, and Audrey stepped into the room, resting their eyes on the unconscious Ben.

"Hey, Mal," Lonnie greeted softly, walking over to the purple-haired girl and wrapping her arms around her.

Mal closed her eyes, leaning into the embrace.

Then Jane came, doing the same thing. Then Audrey, who took a quick glance at Ben before looking at Mal.

"You know, I was always jealous of you," Audrey said. "You somehow captured his heart in a way that I never managed to. And it was up until now that I thought you didn't deserve him. But you saved his life, which is more than proof for me that you two belong together. I am so sorry you have to go through this, Mal."

Mal smiled gratefully, and extended her arms to the girl who was once her rival. "Thank you, Audrey," Mal told her as they hugged. "It means a lot."

A sharp knock on the door interrupted them again, and this time Jay and Carlos were the ones to come inside.

"Guys, I hate to interrupt, but we have a problem," Jay said. He looked out of breath. "Crimson and Jack are attacking the village."

 **Hey guys, sorry for the delayed chapter. I was really busy yesterday.**

 **Anyways, please tell me what you think about this chapter, I'd love to hear it.**

 **See y'all next week!**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter is dedicated to one of my favorite teachers ever, who passed away about two weeks ago. She was my middle school grammar/language/literature teacher, and she helped me grow a love for writing. She was truly a ray of sunshine in my life, and it's hard to see her gone. Thank you for being a wonderful person, and I'll see you in heaven.**

Chapter Ten

"Don't leave his side," Mal instructed her friends. "I don't want him alone if he wakes up. And Mrs. Potts will be here too. And Belle and Adam are just upstairs if you need them."

"We've got him, Mal," Jane promised. "Don't worry. You four have to go save Auradon."

Mal nodded, and turned to her fellow VKs. She looked from face to face, and took a deep breath. "I'm counting on you guys," she told them. "And I know you're counting on me. We're a team, and we chose to be good together. Now let's go show those sons of a bitch what we're capable of!"

Everyone laughed at Mal's crude language, and they got ready to take off to the village square.

Before she followed her friends out of the room, however, she bent over and gave Ben a lingering kiss on his forehead. "I'll be back," she promised, and with that, she took off.

The four ran all the way to the village square, where they found turned-over carts, scattered goods, and confused-looking citizens littering the street.

Carlos stopped by an older man, looking him straight in the eye. "Which way did they go?" he asked demandingly.

The man raised his hand, pointing into the woods that eventually led to the palace's garden.

"They're going after Ben!" Mal exclaimed, running the way that the man was pointing. She didn't even stop to see if her friends were following, this was about her protecting the one she loved.

About halfway through the forest, she spotted the unmistakable bright red hair billowing behind Crimson in the distance, and the large build of Jack running beside his sister.

She willed her legs to run faster, even though she could feel them giving out. She could be tired and rest later, now was the time to push through her boundaries.

Mal only caught up to the twins when they reached the edge of the woods.

"Crimson! Jack!" she cried, stopping them in their tracks.

Crimson turned around, an evil smirk on her face. "Well, well, well, if it isn't little Miss Maleficent Junior," she taunted, and Mal's eyes glowed green. "Good to finally meet you."

"Don't you dare call me that," Mal growled, but this only made Crimson laugh.

"Why not?" she asked. "Afraid your pretty little boyfriend will hear and realize what an evil bitch you really are?"

Mal felt her blood boil.

"Fortunately for you, he's up in that room, fighting for his life, isn't he?" Jack asked. "And we're here to finish him off – once and for all."

"You're not getting anywhere near him," Mal told them.

"What are you going to do about it?" Crimson asked. "As far as I'm concerned, we have the upper hand in this situation. It's two against one."

From behind the twins, the other three VKs finally spoke up.

"It's actually four against two," Jay pointed out, and the twins spun around.

Crimson just chuckled, unfazed. "Well, I'd say it's pretty evenly matched anyway. Jack, how about you take the wannabes and I'll take Maleficent."

Jack nodded, and instantly the garden was turned into a battlefield. Evie, Carlos, and Jay all fought against Jack, and Crimson sauntered up to Mal.

Mal, quite ready for a fist fight, raised an eyebrow. She hadn't had a proper fight since she was back on the island, and Crimson would be perfect practice.

But suddenly, Crimson's eyes flashed a deep red color and a flame appeared in one of her hands. Mal scolded herself for not guessing that Crimson possessed magic. Who else would've cast the spell on Ben?

But Mal had her own tricks up her sleeve. While most of her magic was easier to do with a spellbook in hand, she had learned from her mother a few wordless spells when she was young – all of them having to do with hurting another individual. Mal had only used them for self-defense, even back when she lived on the island, but her mother had certainly taught her them to cause unsolicited pain to others.

So the battle went on, differently than Mal had intended, but still evenly-matched and intense. While Evie and the boys teamed up on Jack, Mal and Crimson fired spell after spell at each other. Mal was only aiming to take down her opponent, while she was sure that Crimson was aiming to kill. Eventually, cries of victory could be heard from Evie, Carlos, and Jay, and Mal and Crimson paused their fighting to look over.

Jack's body was on the ground, and he was certainly unconscious. Carlos and Jay didn't look nearly as black-and-blue as the boy on the ground did, and Evie barely looked phased.

Crimson stared at her brother's body for no longer than a few seconds before she shrugged and turned back to Mal.

"He was just slowing me down anyway," she said, and then fired another spell at Mal, who didn't look in time to dodge it. She fell to the ground, fiery pain bursting through her body.

"Mal!" Evie cried, but Crimson turned on the other three and used her magic to trap them in a metal cage, much like the one they had found Ben in.

Mal struggled to stand, but couldn't get up in time. Crimson pulled her up by her hair and shoved her back against a tree. Her eyes glowed bright red.

"Why are you doing this, Crimson?" Mal managed to ask as the villainess's fingers closed around her throat.

Crimson laughed. "Why am I doing this?" she asked. "Because I need to avenge my father. He didn't deserve to be stuck in this stupid place, he didn't deserve to have kids with some dumb blonde. He deserved to go with Gaston to the Isle of the Lost, and to be glorified along with him. He deserved to be at the top of the chain with Gaston on the Isle, instead of at the bottom of the chain with the Bimbettes in Auradon. My father was never a good person, he was just misunderstood. But when the over-glorified king and queen of Auradon found that out, they left him to rot in a jail cell for the rest of his life! They took the only thing that ever mattered to me from my life, and now I'm going to take the only thing that matters to them! Their beloved son! Even if it means I have to get through you."

As Crimson told her this story, Mal found it increasingly harder to breathe. Black spots clouded her vision, and Mal knew that these might very well be her last moments to live. She looked over to her friends, who were trapped and unable to do anything about it. Her friends, who had stuck by her side her whole life, whether it was on the Isle or here in Auradon. And then there was Ben, who was asleep in the room, fighting for his life. He'd been there for her ever since she set foot in Auradon, and had always made her feel so loved. And now that Crimson had the upper hand, he might not ever get the chance to wake up from this coma that she'd put him in. And Mal would never be able to tell him how much she appreciated and loved him.

As she began to black out, a single tear ran down her cheek. Even though it was one of many over the past few months, she knew it was her last. It held the sadness of being cut off from her life so early on. She'd never be able to tell Ben she loved him. She'd never even get the chance to have a life with him. She'd never have kids with vivid purple hair and sparkling blue eyes, and she'd never be able to tell them the story of how she chose good over evil. How that had changed her life, and it could change theirs too.

Suddenly, a loud roar sounded from behind them, and Mal felt Crimson being pulled away from her. She fell to the ground, gasping for air. Despite her limited vision, she looked up and saw Ben, awake and still human, in a fight with Crimson. He was on the ground, and she was on top of him, pinning him down. She reached for her boot, from which she pulled a long, twisted dagger. She aimed it straight for Ben's heart.

"Ben!" Mal tried to cry out, but her voice was hardly a whisper. She coughed and tried again, but to no avail. She coughed again and realized that the black around her vision was getting bigger. She sucked more oxygen into her lungs, but it didn't help.

The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. Crimson was inches away from plunging her dagger into Ben's body when a burst of bright light came, knocking it from Crimson's hands and toppling the girl from Ben's body to the ground. The last thing Mal saw before passing out was Fairy Godmother, striding through the garden, her wand in hand.

 **OH SHIITake mushrooms! So, you've just witnessed the epic battle between Mal and Crimson. How are we feeling? Will Mal be alright? What about Ben? Thank goodness Fairy Godmother is there, always saving the day! What are some predictions for next chapter? Let me know by leaving a review!  
**

 **Just to let you guys know, I will not be updating next week. I'm taking a week off of work to spend some time with my family, and I'm not going to focus on ANYTHING except relaxing. I've been extremely overworked lately, so I'm so excited for this VACAY! Don't worry, I'll still be working hard to finish this story! It's so close to being done! Ahhh!**

 **Love y'all!  
**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey y'all I'm (finally) back!**

 **It's been a while. I took a longer break than I intended, but now I'm back and I'll be posting once a day until the end of this story!**

 **Are y'all excited for Descendants 2? I am!**

 **I don't own Descendants.**

Chapter Eleven

When Mal woke up, all she could see was white.

For a moment, she questioned if she had died, and this was the afterlife. But her eyes soon adjusted, and she realized that the light coming through the window was causing this effect. She was in what appeared to be a hospital room, but it was ten times nicer than anything she'd ever seen on the Isle of the Lost.

For starters, she was alone in her room. On the Isle, the hospital was just one giant warehouse, and there was no privacy at all. And then there was the bed, which seemed more like the bed she had back at Auradon Prep rather than anything else. On the Isle, they had cots. The room she was in also had a little balcony with tables and chairs that had a spectacular view of lush green hills that were spotted with vibrant flowers. One more detail that caught Mal's eye was the single chair that was pulled up by the side of her bed. Clearly someone had been to visit her.

After a few minutes of taking in her surroundings, her recent memories began to flash through her brain, and Mal felt her pulse quicken and her breathing get shallower. In the moment, all she could think about was saving Ben. She didn't think about how dangerous it was. But now that she was thinking back, it scared her more than she could describe. She was moments away from dying, and all in the hands of someone who was the same age – if not slightly older – than her.

But she'd do it again in heartbeat if it meant saving Ben – or any of her friends for that matter. She calmed herself with this thought, and once her anxiety passed, she was able to relax again – but not for long.

Within twenty minutes, she found herself thinking of what happened in the aftermath of the battle. What had happened after Fairy Godmother had appeared. Were Crimson and Jack captured? Were they imprisoned somewhere? And, most importantly, were her friends okay? What about Ben?

Mal began to grow restless and impatient at the fact that she was sitting in this room, all alone, with no notion of what had happened to her friends. She had to get information.

She slipped her legs from under the covers and stood, completely trusting her legs to hold her. Unfortunately, they didn't follow through, and she crumpled to the ground. However, with much determination (and the help of a nearby armchair), Mal was able to hoist herself back up and start walking toward the door. She held on to everything she could to assist herself.

She was only a few feet from the door when something moving caught the corner of her eye. Thankfully, it was only her reflection, but she didn't continue moving to the door. Instead, she stopped and stared at herself in the mirror, hardly recognizing the girl staring back at her.

Her skin was paler than usual, which made the purplish-blue hues underneath her eyes stand out even more. She couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten proper night's sleep. She looked too skinny – as if she hadn't eaten in a while. The hospital gown hung off her body in an unflattering way. Her hair stood out in all directions, still halfway in the bun she had put it in before running off to fight Crimson. But the thing that stood out to her the most were the swollen, black and blue bruises on her neck, right on the base of her esophagus. They were far bigger than Mal had expected. Instead of looking the size of Crimson's thumbprints, they looked more the size of Crimson's hands. They stuck out against her sallow skin. Mal reached up to brush her fingers against the skin and immediately hissed in pain.

The door suddenly opened without warning, and Mal jumped back, hitting her back against the wall.

A friendly-looking old woman bustled into the room, pushing a metal cart that had a bouquet of lilacs sitting on it, along with a few cards.

"Oh, Mal dear," the woman greeted leaving the cart in the doorway and making her way over to the teen. "You shouldn't be out of bed."

Mal hesitantly let the woman lead her to the bed and sit her down, wrapping the blankets around her once more.

"Where am I?" Mal demanded. "Where are my friends? What happened?" All the questions came spilling out of her mouth, and the woman just looked at her sympathetically.

"My dear, you were admitted into Auradon's children's hospital about a week ago in critical condition," the woman explained. "And I'm afraid that's all I'm allowed to tell you."

 _A week?!_ Had she really been asleep for a week? And what did the lady mean, that's all she could tell her?

"You really can't tell me anything?" Mal asked.

"No, but I can go get someone who can," the woman answered. Mal nodded. "Okay, just let me give you your medications really quick and I'll go get them, alright?"

Mal watched as the lady went back to the door and wheeled the cart into the room, and noticed for the first time the multiple bright orange pill bottles that accompanied the flowers and cards. Mal took the pills somewhat hesitantly, and as she swallowed each capsule, kept her eyes trained on who she assumed to be her nurse. The woman picked the flowers up off the cart and placed them on the table by Mal's bed along with the cards.

"Those friends of yours who sent these cards will be thrilled to know you're awake," the woman said. She winked at Mal, which told Mal that the nurse knew that she had just disclosed some information that she wasn't allowed to tell.

Mal nodded in thanks, and the woman grabbed the cart.

"Someone will be back soon, okay," the woman said sweetly. "If you need anything, just ask for Gladys."

With that, Gladys left. Mal was left to read her cards, which all said incredibly sweet words from her classmates and her close friends. She noted with a frown that Ben hadn't sent her a card, but didn't have too much time to dwell on it as her door opened again, without a knock.

Mal felt her chest swell with joy as she saw the ever-cheerful face of Fairy Godmother smiling at her kindly as she made her way over to Mal's bedside.

"Mal, it's so good to see you awake," the woman greeted her, enveloping Mal in a gentle hug. Mal hugged her back tightly, overjoyed to see her. After all, she had been the one to rescue her and her friends from Crimson and Jack. "I suppose you wish for answers as to what happened, right?"

Mal nodded. "Is everyone alright?" that was the only thing she really needed to know, so she asked it of Fairy Godmother first.

Fairy Godmother nodded. "Everyone took a quick trip to the hospital to get their minor wounds checked out, but nobody was there for more than a day. Ben, of course, is under medical supervision to make sure he's making a full recovery. But you're the only one who stayed at the hospital. That's why nobody else is here right now; they're all in school."

"So…what about Crimson and Jack?" Mal asked. "All I remember is that Crimson was about to stab Ben, and then her dagger flew out of her hand. Then you walked in and that's when I blacked out."

Fairy Godmother sat down in the chair next to her bed. "After I found you all in the garden, I easily captured Crimson. She may have been more powerful than you, but compared to me, she was weak. Which, I mean to speak to you about. While a brave and honorable gesture, I would rather you have come to me or any of the other adults for help with this mission of yours instead of taking it upon yourself."

Mal hung her head. "I'm sorry," she said solemnly. "I was fed up with nobody knowing where he was and I didn't even think anyone was trying anymore. So when I found out where he could be, I wanted to be hero."

Fairy Godmother nodded. "While I'm disappointed, I can't say I blame you," she told her honestly. "I was rather frustrated with the palace guard's inability to find him as well. But that didn't give you a right to wander off like that. Something bad could've happened to you – no, something bad _did_ happen to you."

Mal nodded. "I know it was risky," she said. "But you have to understand, I was willing to do anything to save Ben."

This put a smile on Fairy Godmother's face. "I know, sweetheart."

"So…where are Crimson and Jack now?" Mal asked.

"They're being held in a high-security cell for now. They're going on trial in a week, and hopefully they'll end up on the Isle of the Lost. I believe that is where they always wanted to go anyway."

Mal agreed. They talked for a little while longer, this time about Mal's school situation, before Fairy Godmother checked the clock on the wall and decided that it was time for her to leave.

"Get some sleep, Mal," the woman said, and her soothing voice was enough to lull Mal to sleep again.

A few hours passed before Mal woke up again. Apparently she was more tired than she thought. The first thing she registered before she even opened her eyes was a warm hand in her own, and a weight resting on her thigh. When she did open her eyes, she was met with the sleeping form of Ben.

She smiled softly, admiring the way her looked extremely peaceful when he slept. The sun streamed in through her window and illuminated his face, causing a youthful glow. Mal reached up and pushed his golden locks away from his face with the hand he wasn't already holding.

It somewhat scared her, the feeling she had for the king. Love was a brand new thing to her. But then again, it also made her feel happier than she'd ever been. Ben had showed her what love felt like, and for that she was so grateful to him. And although she hadn't the slightest idea how to express to him her own love, she knew he'd be patient and kind to her as she figured it out.

He stirred as she continued to play with his hair, and eventually his brilliant blue eyes were fluttering open. He smiled softly up at her. "Hey, you're awake."

Mal nodded, giving her own smile back.

Ben sat up and stretched, yawning loudly. Mal just continued to look at him, and suddenly felt tears rolling down her cheeks as she realized just how much she'd missed him in the past months.

"Damn these tears, _again,_ " she said quietly, reaching up and wiping them from her face.

"Are you okay, Mal?" Ben asked, suddenly very alert and concerned. "What's wrong?"

Mal shook her head. "Nothing, I'm just so happy to see you," she said honestly.

Ben pulled her into his arms, holding her as she wept with joy. "I'm happy to see you too, Mal," he told her. "For a second there, I thought you were gone."

Mal pulled away. "Me too," she said. "But you saved me. Speaking of which, I was scared for your life there as well. Crimson almost killed you."

"But she didn't," Ben pointed out. "I'm still here."

"She almost did," Mal insisted. She looked him straight in the eyes with a tight grip on his shoulder. "You listen to me, Ben. Don't you ever risk your life to save mine again. I'm not worth it."

Ben frowned, and he took her hands in his. "You are worth it to me, Mal," he told her earnestly. "You are more than worth it to me. Mal, I-"

He stopped himself, but then shook his head. He leaned down so that their foreheads were against each other, and their breaths were mixing.

"I love you, Mal," he admitted. "I love you so much it hurts."

Mal felt her eyes tear up again at his confession, and she closed the space between them, kissing him for the first time in a month. It felt like heaven. They kissed each other until they were out of breath, and then still didn't separate completely.

"I love you too, Ben," Mal said against his lips.

Ben pulled her even closer to him, pressing their lips together again in a kiss that was, somehow, even more passionate than the previous one.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that," he told her.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to _say_ it," Mal said with a laugh.

 **Awwwwwwww.**

 **Yay, Ben and Mal were reunited. Now there's only one or two more chapters until the epilogue.**

 **Hope you liked this chapter, I'd love to read a review!**

 **Love y'all!**

 **~SmartyPants210**


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own Descendants.**

Chapter Twelve

Mal stood in front of the mirror in her dorm bathroom, staring at her reflection. Today there was a parade celebrating the return of Ben, and she'd been asked to be a part of it with her friends. Ben had originally wanted her to ride in his carriage with him, but she'd declined, wanting to stand with her friends on this one.

She was wearing a knee-length dress that had a similar neckline to the one she had worn to Ben's coronation, so it had a high collar. However, she still had trouble tearing her eyes off her neck.

She had been discharged from the hospital a few days ago, only having to spend two more days there after she woke up. The bruises on her neck were getting better, but they were still highly noticeable. She couldn't help but feel like they made her less beautiful.

A knock on the door made her jump, and Evie's voice called through the door, "Hey, Mal, how's it looking?"

Mal took another glance at her reflection. The dress itself was stunning, a black number that shimmered with the crystals embroidered into the body. But every time she glanced at the mirror, the only thing her eyes could focus on was her neck.

Mal opened the door for Evie, hoping that her face didn't show her dissatisfaction.

"You're so beautiful!" Evie exclaimed, but stopped smiling once she saw Mal's face. "You don't like it."

"I do like it, E, it's just…"

Evie nodded in understanding. "We could cover them up with some makeup?" she suggested.

Mal sighed. "Let's try it."

And try they did. But a light layer didn't conceal it, and the more they caked on, the worse it looked. So they ditched that idea, wiping the layers of makeup off.

"If it's any help, I hardly even notice the bruises," Evie said. "All I see is a beautiful girl who is fit to be a princess."

Mal offered a weak smile, but didn't believe her friend.

Another knock, this time from the entrance of their door, sounded through the room.

"That's probably Ben," Mal said in disdain. Now there was no chance at even attempting to cover them up. Ben was taking them straight to the parade.

"I'll get it," Evie told her, and marched over to the door, throwing it open.

Ben stood there, smiling widely. "Hey Evie," he greeted. "Where's Mal?"

Evie gave him a sad look before gesturing to the bathroom, where Mal was still staring at her bruises in distaste.

"Hey Mal, you almost ready to go?" Ben asked, walking into the bathroom.

Mal tore her eyes away from her reflection and looked at her boyfriend, tears filling her eyes. Immediately Ben's face softened and he moved to comfort his girlfriend.

"Hey, it's okay," he soothed her, rubbing her back as she cried into his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"Look at them, Ben," Mal commanded, gesturing to the bruises. "They're ugly, and they make me feel weak."

Ben was taken aback. Mal wasn't one to be insecure about anything. She didn't care what others thought of her; she'd do it her way and you'd like it. "You're not weak, Mal."

"Yes, I am!" Mal insisted. "I'm the only one who came away from this battle with marks. Everyone else is unscathed."

Ben closed the bathroom door behind him and sat Mal down on the side of the bathtub. Then he proceeded to take his coat off and start to unbutton his shirt.

"Ben, now's not the time," Mal remarked sassily, giving a small smile through her tears.

Ben chuckled, and shrugged off his shirt when he'd finished unbuttoning this. Mal's breath hitched in her throat, and not just because of her boyfriend's toned abdomen.

No, Mal's focus was on the long, jagged scars that littered his chest. She had noticed them earlier, when they first found him as the beast, but the reality and seriousness of them really hit Mal when she saw them there on his chest when he was a human.

"You're not the only one who got hurt by those two," Ben told her, crouching down in front of her. He took her hands in his and looked her straight in the eye. "And your wounds don't make you weak. In fact, they make you even stronger because sure, you got away with a mark, but the fact is _you got away_. They show that you're so brave that you'll go through anything to get what you want, and that you'll get through whatever that is because you are just that strong." He squeezed her hands in reassurance, offering her a gentle smile. "You are so, so beautiful Mal. And in my eyes, those bruises and your immense strength just make you so much more beautiful."

Mal felt her eyes tearing up, now for an entirely different reason. "I love you, Ben," she told him, and he beamed at her, the same smile he did every other time she told him.

He pulled her down and kissed her slowly and languidly, causing her to thank her lucky stars that she was sitting down, or else her legs would've given way underneath her.

They pulled away finally after Evie knocked on the door, the kiss leaving them breathless. Ben pulled his shirt back on and Mal helped him slip into his coat. They shared one last quick kiss before stepping out of the bathroom.

"You ready to go?" Ben asked, reaching out and taking her hand as they headed out the door.

Mal smiled. "Yes," she said, more sure of herself than she had been since Ben had disappeared.

* * *

The four Villain's Kids walked hand in hand down the cobblestone paths of the village. Crowds of people, more people than Mal even thought lived in Auradon, stood on the sides of the roads, cheering for them. Cheering for the VKs, who, up until then, were people to be wary of. People to fear.

But now they were being celebrated, while the real bad guys -Crimson and Jack- were being shipped off to the Isle where they belonged.

Mal looked around, at her friends, at the crowds of people cheering her name, and then up at Ben, who was smiling and waving at the crowd from his carriage ahead, and realized that she had it all. This was the good life. The one where everyone knew she had chosen good over evil.

 **So there it was! The last official chapter of Missing in Action!**

 **I'm so glad that all of you readers kept with the story, despite me missing like a million updates. I really hope you enjoyed it, because I loved writing it! The epilogue will be out as soon as I can, hopefully by next Sunday.**

 **Please leave me a review, it'd mean the world!  
**

 **Also, are y'all excited for Descendants 2? It's out tomorrow! Yay!**

 **~SmartyPants210**


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